St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-04

their face correct) the rates charged for local
freight are evidently levied on the somewhat
general principal of what the traffic will bear.
In Massachusetts, when terminals are taken
into consideration, the
COST OF TRANSPORTATION
OF wheat Is more nearly equitable than in
any state represented in the summary. STILL
we md the anomaly of a lesser rate for 36
miles than for Is miles, In Pennsylvania
local rates are higher than in Massachusetts.
In Ohio the rate is about the same on 60
miles as !, is on 80 miles, while the long haul
OF 2lO mics, instead of being relatively less,
Is relatively greater. In Massachusetts, in
1883, 1t cost 4.6 cents to trans p ort bushel of
wheat 64 miles, and the cost in connection
for transporting the same quantity of grain
62 miles was cents; in Pennsylvania, 80
miles, AZ cents, aud in Ohio, 60 miles, gents.
OF course, the conditions may not have been
the same. Farther west we find Kansas pay
ing Az cents per bushel for transporting a
bushel of wheat 40 miles. and Massachu-
| sets, for the same service 81 miles, 20 cents,
While California pays 5.3 cents per
bushel for fifty miles. The committee recog
nizeS the mea :erneSs of these returns, which
are very incomplete and unsatisfactory. They
are printed more for the purpose of directing
attention to Il line of inquiry which might be
carried out By the government, and which
would result in throwing important light on
the subject of local freight rates. Excellent
work has been done in all that appertaius to
through rates, but her G tofore no attempt has
been made to collect comparative statistics of
local rates. A glance at the summary also
brings out the fact that the same gratifying
| reduction has not taken place N local rates
during the years covered by this inquiry as
in through rates, In some cases there has
been a reduction, but in a majority of ill.,
stances the rates have remained substantially
the same" Continuing on the subject of
| local freightS, the committee says: "1n Mas
| SachusettS the
RATES HAVE STEADILY DECLINED
since 1874 on every road included in the table.
The same is true of Connecticut The Ono
| report is exceedingly valuable, showing de-
cline from 2.446 cents per ton per mile in
| 1868 to .S15 of cent in 1888. In Michigan
| the average rate per mile in 1874 was 1871
cents, and in 1852 it had declined to Loo cents
| per ton per mile. On the principal railroads
| of Iowa there has also been considerable de-
crease since 1878. This is shown in detail in
| the appendix, but no summary is obtainable.
| In Wisconsin, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska
and California the same general facts are
| brought out. Turning from the United States
| to foreign countries the committee shows
| the production and consumption OF cereals
| in Europe, and brings out the fact that the
! increase in population has been relatively
| much greater in the great grain producing
J countries than it has been in the grain buy
| ing countries. The United Kingdom appears
!
the wheat the United States exported during
| this period, and, therefore, special attention
| has been given to England S supply of wheat.
| For this purpose a table was prefaced giving
d summary of the wheat imported into the
| United Kingdom, of Great Britain and Ire
| land from various countries during the
| period (seven years. from 1886 to 1872, in
| elusive, and the decades from 1913 TO 1882,
| inclusive, showing the total imp ortations OF
wheat and the proportions furnished by the
| United States, Russia, Germany, British
| North America. Egypt, France. Denmark and
table the committee says; "A glance at this
| summary not only shows the rapldity of the
AGRICULTURAL GROWTH
| of the United States and its Importance as a
| food exporting country, but il also presents
some of the economic changes that have
taken place in Europe. In the first place the
| United States exported less than per cent.
of the wheat imported into the United King
dom; in the last period it supplied nearly 81
per cent; from less than 100000 bushels it
increased by 81 series of leaps and bounds to
about 503.0O0, 600 bushels. Excepting the
| rapid growth of imports of wheat from India
(Which does not appear in this table, India
| beng classified under "all other countries
| there is no instance in economic history of
growth so rapid. The imports from Russia
| during this preiod, though they have in
creased in amount, have not advanced greatly
nearly lU per cent; in the second they had
somewhat increased; in the thjrd,they had re-
ceded again; in the fourth they advanced
| considerably and in the fifth period they had
| receded more rapidly than The increase be-
| tween the third and fourth periods. The i'm
ports from Germany have decreased from the
second period actually as well as relatively;
while relatively the percentage Of decrease
has been steady. sinking from 80 per cent. tC
80 per cent; next to 20 ard to IS per cent;
and lastly to per cent. The cryStaliZatiOu
of the Germanic empire, the rapid increase
of population the change from an agricultu
raj condition TO that Of diversified industries
all suggest themselves as reasons for thi.
decrease. In Germany the population is over
taking the food producing capacity OF the
country The committee reproduces q table
from what is known
AS THE WINDOW REPORT,
which is q summary statement of the amount
of wheat Gncluding wheat and four i'm
ported into the United Kingdom from 1860 II
1872, inclusive; and adds thereto a table O
its own, showing the same facts from 1873 tC
1888, inclusive. Commenting on this table
the committee says: An examination of tn,
table shows that Russia still retains the sec
ond position and Germany the third; but the
rapid change in eleven years of British Indii
from thirteenth position to the fourth is th(
most noticeable feature of the summary. IL
the next decade Germany will be practically
that India will contest with the United States
for the first position. Elsewhere in the re
port this phase of the question il
discussed at length, and many i'm
portant facts relative to the cost o
producing wheat in India and othe
competing counties, rates of freight charges
prices Ut importing points, rates of ocean
transportation, etc. are referred to. 1t vii
also be observed that, comparing the TIVE
portions, the supply from Russia, Ger
many and France has decreased actually ant
relatively, though of course it must be born,
in mind that the Window committee took
| period of thirteen years, and this COMMITTEE
period of eleven years: but, after du
allowance for this difference, there woult
still be steady decrease. One of the mos
important features of the report is the show
ing. in tabulated form, OF the prices of whea
for series OF years in the principal coun
tries of the world. These tables show tina
the average yearly price of wheat is
LOWEST IN INDIA,
ranging from So cents per bushe at Calcutt
to Sl.02 at Bombay between 1873 aud 1888
, Russia comes next, the average for the de
cade being SIPS per bushel at Warsaw; 81. L
2 per bushel at St. Petersburg and 81. 10 a
} Odessa. The average price OF wheat at Al
gierS WAS for the entire period covered in tn
inquiry, SIPS per bushel; at Smyrna, 81. y
D per bushel and at Beirut 81. Al. In the Ger
9 man empire the price varies somewhat at
S cording to location. The free port of Breme
e appears to enjoy the lowest price-S1. SO pc
e bushel-and, curiousy enough, Stettin, o
!, the Baltic, the highest, 81. 70 per bushel. Mex
d comes the grain center of the Rhenish an
:. | Westphalian manufacturing regions, Aache
y and Cologne, with SLIGO per bushei and SIS
g respectively, for the eleven years. The dill
= ference is most marked hetwee